


Reliable with the ladies

by GinnyCycle



Category: Hamilton - Miranda
Genre: Canon Era, Eliza's POV, Eliza-Centric, F/M, Helpless, Not Canon Compliant, burrliza, during A Winter's Ball
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-13
Updated: 2017-04-13
Packaged: 2018-10-18 13:37:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,923
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10618002
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GinnyCycle/pseuds/GinnyCycle
Summary: Burr doesn't meet the Schuyler sisters when they go downtown. The first time they meet is during A Winter's Ball/Helpless.





	

**Author's Note:**

> So this is my first fanfic ever, please forgive my mistakes. I just really like the idea if Burr and Eliza together and there isn't enough of it out there. Some of the things about Aaron are taken from real life, not just the musical, including the timing of his promotion to Lt. Colonel.

"Excuse me, Miss. I know it's not funny but your perfume smells like your daddy's got money." Eliza turned around quickly, pulled out of watching Angelica dazzle her way around the room. 

In front of her, she saw a soldier in an officer's uniform. He was tall, taller than her but she knew that wasn't a fair measure. The man was handsome as well. He had dark brown eyes that spoke of a quick wit and kindness. Contrastingly, his lips were set in away she would describe as smug. 

When their gazes met, the soldier's words caught up to Eliza and she threw he head back and laughed so loud it could be heard over the music. People around the couple stared, to see if it would become a scene, but as there was only one outburst they turned back to the party. 

The soldier's face fell a tick and Eliza felt bad. She found the line funny and it was unexpected; she didn't want the soldier to think she was laughing at him. 

"Forgive me. Elizabeth Schuyler. It's a pleasure to meet you." Eliza apologized with a smile and offering her hand. Eliza hoped that she hadn't bruised his confidence, she wanted to get to know him. The soldier nodded slightly before bowing and taking her hand. 

"Lieutenant Colonel Aaron Burr."

"Thank you for all your service."

"Of course. I couldn't let independence be won without doing my part. Would you care to dance?" Eliza smiles up at Lt. Col. Burr while moving her hand from his to wrap around his arm. 

"Lead the way." Soon, the couple was among the others, quickly finding the rhythm of the waltz being played. Lt. Col. Burr was looking at her still but not saying anything. Eliza thought he might be embarrassed after she laughed earlier. 

"Lt. Col. Burr, sir, I wish to apologize again for laughing earlier," Lt. Col. Burr grimaced at that, making Eliza almost regret bringing it up. 

"I wasn't laughing at you though. I was laughing at the line you used. 'It smells like your daddy has money.' Who says things such as that? And it was so unpredictable." Lt. Col. Burr looked contemplatively down at Eliza before looking off to the side. 

"I wasn't laughing at you though. I was laughing at the line you used. 'It smells like your daddy has money.' Who says things such as that? And it was so unpredictable." Lt. Col. Burr looked contemplatively down at Eliza before looking off to the side. 

"I apologize about that, my lack of introduction. You just look so lovely tonight and I just said the first thing that came to mind. Looking back, I suppose, it could come off as odd. I'm not normally like this, flustered I mean." Eliza blushed, he thought she was lovely. Now she was even more determined than before to get to know him. 

"It's quite alright, Lt. Col. Burr. I've had many soldiers introduce themselves to me tonight, but you are surely the most memorable." Lt. Col. Burr beams at that, a genuine smile slipping through the mask of his face. Eliza notes that he is even more handsome when he smiles. 

"Thank you, Miss Schuyler. You may call me Aaron, if you wish." Eliza was flattered that Lt. Col. B– Aaron, would allow her to be so informal. 

"Aaron, please call me Eliza, everyone else does. Miss Schuyler is Angelica as she's the oldest and it makes me feel old when people refer to me as such." Eliza made a vague gesture with her hand to emphasize that using her first name was a common courtesy. 

"So Aaron, do you happen to have anymore of those lines in your repertoire? That was the first real laugh I've had all night." 

"I do. I will share them with you, but only because you are so beautiful when you laugh." Aaron looked down at Eliza again, making her heart flutter in anticipation. 

"Thank you. And from a rather handsome soldier I suppose it has merit." Eliza had to show Aaron that he was not the only one who could flirt. Now her intentions were out into the ballroom for Aaron to do what he wished with. Aaron smirked at her, the smug expression returning to his face. 

"Indeed. Alright, let me try out this one. As an initial statement of interest, 'Are you searching for an urchin who can give you ideals?' Or when a lady has doubts that I am a man worth talking to, 'I'm a trust fund baby, you can trust me.' " Eliza let out peals of laughter at this. She couldn't believe that he thought this would work on any woman. Then again, in a way not intended, they were working on her. 

"Aaron, those are horrible! You're lucky you tried to catch my attention with those, otherwise I think women would be running away from you." Eliza wiped tears out of her eyes from laughing so hard. Aaron just looked pleased at having made her laugh again. 

"Hey, I will have you know that I am very charming when I want to be. I just wanted to try something new." Eliza thought Aaron sounded a bit pass a child trying to say their accident was exactly what they wanted to do, but she let it pass. 

"So, Aaron what exactly are you ideals?" Eliza was curious, and he brought it up in his terrible line, it was only fair she got to know. 

"Oh, you know, life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness. The things we're fighting for." Aaron looked a bit closed off again, like he had when Eliza laughed the first time. 

"Aaron, that's not what I mean. You have to be fighting for something more than that. How about this, if you tell me I promise I won't tell anyone else. Well actually I'll probably have to tell Angelica and Peggy because we're very close and they'll know if I'm hiding something. Especially if we ever talk again because Angelica will want to know everything I know about you, but it won't go any further than that. My sisters are the two people I trust over anyone else, they won't gossip about this." Eliza gave Aaron a face that brooked no argument. 

"Okay, I believe you. I'm just not use to sharing my ideals with anyone else. They aren't common and I don't have a close relationship with my sister, or any of my family, the way you do yours." Eliza smiled encouragingly up at Aaron. She wasn't happy to hear that he wasn't close with his sister, Eliza couldn't really imagine what he life would be like if she didn't have her sisters, but she was glad that Aaron was willing to open up to her. 

"I believe that what we are fighting for is perfectly valid but the fact stands that the way we are currently defining people who are allowed "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" is far too narrow. We should not be a society that keeps some of it's people in chains due to the color of their skin. We can be a properly functioning society all the same if we just pay those who are kept as slaves for their labor. And denying them the ability to learn, to read and write. It just sickens me to know that some people have to hold others down to make themselves feel better." Here Aaron sighed and glanced briefly at Eliza. 

"I suppose you would understand better than I would though. To be in every other way the same as a man but have next to no rights is disgusting. And the education given to women is appalling, essentially nonexistent. Then those around me have the nerve to say that we don't see many female authors or scholars as though women are given the same chance to academically advance." Aaron was looking away from Eliza for most of his speech, almost like he was embarrassed to be saying it. Eliza's heart filled with warmth, deciding she had found someone who understood many of the things she felt. 

"Yes, I completely agree with you. Slavery is a dark and messy business and in no way a foundation to build a country on. If I had it my way the Declaration would see to the end of that as well. Have you read this work by an English woman, Mary Wollstonecraft, called 'A Vindication of the Rights of Women?' It discusses much of the same thing you're talking about. That women should have the same rights as men and access to the same educational opportunities." Aaron looked impressed, Eliza supposed he wasn't expecting her to know much outside of what goes on in New York. 

"Yes, I have read it. It's a work of genius! I often find myself wondering if it is owing to ignorance or prejudice that up until now I have not yet met a single person who has discovered or would allow the merit of the work. It's amazing that you've read it!" Aaron was once again beaming at Eliza, excited that she shared his beliefs. 

"Well Angelica likes for us to keep ourselves informed." No sooner than Eliza spoke her name did Angelica arrive. 

"Speak of the devil." Eliza said this rather quietly but Aaron gave a small chuckle indicating he had heard Eliza. 

"Lieutenant Colonel Burr, would you mind terribly if I stole my sister away?" Angelica said in the tone of hers that indicated that although she had asked a question, the answer didn't matter. Eliza rolled her eyes at Angelica and disengaged from Aaron's embrace. 

"Of course not. Eliza, would you mind if I wrote you?" Aaron was still smiling despite the interruption. 

"Not at all, Aaron. I look forward to your correspondence." With that Angelica whisked Eliza away from Aaron leaving him alone on the dance floor. 

"What were you doing with Burr? You were dancing with him for quite a few songs." Eliza blushed, she hadn't realized so much time passed in Aaron's company. 

"We were just talking. He has some interesting ideas about the kind of country America should be." Angelica seemed interested to know more, but she didn't ask about it then. 

"Is that all? You were dancing for 15 minutes and you just wanted to talk politics?" Angelica was hinting at something and, as her sister, Eliza relented. 

"And he's not bad to look at." Angelica smiled at Eliza's admission. 

"Really though? Burr?" Angelica's eyebrow quirked, her tone a bit too incredulous for Eliza's taste. 

"Yes, Aaron." Eliza smiled and nodded. 

"Oh, Aaron is it?" Angelica's tone was playful, implying intimacy not yet there. 

"Yes. Hey, what about you? Did anyone catch your eye tonight?" Angelica was notoriously picky when it came to men, holding their ideals above all else. Eliza thought Angelica might actually like Aaron if she got to know him better; they hold similar issues close to their hearts. 

"Maybe. But tell me more about Aaron. He obviously plans on writing to you. Do you want this to turn into something more? A courtship?" Eliza noted the change of subject but would wait until they found Peggy to bring it up again. Two against one was a tried and true method amongst the Schuyler sisters. 

"I wouldn't mind. He's truthfully one of the most beautiful people I've ever met." Eliza blushed again, feeling like her face would never return to it's normal coloring. Thinking about Aaron's eyes and smile, so kind and warm, made Eliza giddy for the next time they would meet. 

"Oh, you've got it bad. I can't wait to tell Peggy." Angelica smiled at Eliza, seemingly happy that her sister may have found someone to spend the rest of her life with. 

"Tell Peggy what?" Eliza and Angelica both started a bit when Peggy came up from behind them. 

"Eliza has found herself a suitor. Aaron Burr." Angelica wagged her eyebrows suggestively at Peggy. 

"Burr? I haven't heard a lot about him but he must be something special if he has caught our fair Eliza's eye." Peggy took on the same suggestive tone Angelica used causing Eliza to feel even more embarrassed. 

"Please stop. It's just that he has grand ideas about the ways things should change for the better. It helps that he's lovely, and actually rather funny. And he's not terrible to look at." Peggy grinned. 

"Oh Eliza, he's done a bit more than catch your eye. He's caught your heart too." Eliza grimaced. 

"Grow up. This is the first time I've met him." Eliza was a bit exasperated with her sisters. She didn't want to get her hopes up just in case it didn't work out. Or, Lord forbid, Aaron died during the war. 

"Once is enough, Eliza." Angelica sounded certain. This reminded Eliza of Angelica's noncommittal answer from earlier. 

"Can we head home now? I believe we've done our duty of appearance. I'm exhausted and this dress is killing me." Eliza's back really did hurt, but not enough to leave. Really Eliza just wanted to get out of the ballroom so that they could avoid any rumors spreading based on the topic Eliza wanted to discuss. 

"Of course, it has been a rather long night, hasn't it? I think I've managed to talk to everyone important here anyway." Angelica grabbed the hands of both of her sisters, leading them to collect their coats before heading out to where they could retrieve their coachman. 

"It's so cold out here, especially after how hot it was dancing." Eliza shivered briefly before huddling closer to her sisters. 

"I bet Aaron got you hot in more ways than one." 

"Peggy!" Eliza blushed, suddenly warm again. Then the carriage pulled around. The driver got down assisting the Schuyler sisters inside before setting off towards their home. 

"Okay, enough about me. How did the ball go for you both?" With Peggy a part of the conversation, there was no way Angelica could avoid the true nature of the question. 

"I danced with many soldiers here. There were a couple that were more interesting than the others but nothing as interesting as your Aaron Burr." Eliza liked the idea of Aaron being hers but said nothing of it aloud. 

"I did my usual routine of dancing with, what feels like, the entire room." Peggy and Eliza looked at each other incredulously. Angelica always gave detailed accounts of her night if only to tell them the latest gossip. Something happened and Angelica didn't want to share. 

"Angelica something must have happened. You are usually much more elaborate in your descriptions of the night. Did you also meet someone tonight?" Peggy was excited by the possibility that both of her sisters had found husbands. 

"Maybe." Angelica looked embarrassed this time, a sure sign her sisters were on the right track. 

"This again. Is maybe a yes in this case Angelica?" Eliza was exasperated. She just wanted to know if Angelica had found her match. Someone to keep her satisfied. 

"Well, there was one soldier that was, for lack of a more apt term, perfect; we just fit together. It would never work though. He's not from a family with any standing and surely penniless for it. Being the oldest, I can't marry someone so far below our status. What would happen to father and his legacy?" Eliza's heart broke for her sister. There were so many expectations for her that simply didn't exist for Peggy or herself. 

"To hell with that Angelica! Mother and Father both would rather you marry for love, all of us would." Peggy always knew what to say when it came to matters of passion. 

"It's easy to say that but the gossip in New York City is insidious. And anyway I have other prospects with pedigrees." Angelica was visibly upset. Eliza wished for a world where Angelica could be happy. Wishing wouldn't change things though. 

"Angelica, I know neither of us can change your mind but if we could marry someone in your place we would." Peggy said that but Eliza would worry if either of her sisters married for purely political reasons. 

"And Aaron's not a bad match. Lieutenant Colonel is not a bad rank in the military." Eliza knew it wasn't much but maybe it could be enough. 

"Eliza, that's not enough. There's nothing wrong with him but his family is not known well enough to forgive me marrying outside of high society." And even if it was Eliza knew that people would always talk about how Angelica failed by marrying a man with no money and her younger sister did the 'right' thing. 

"Think about it anyway. Don't close this door. You could always disregard what society and Father may think and elope! Or convince Father that this soldier of yours has great value despite his name. I know you can do anything if you put your mind to it." Eliza was certain that Angelica could make this work. 

"Maybe. I'll think about it." Angelica smiled weakly. 

"That's all I ask. You know happiness is all we want for you." Eliza's heart went out to Angelica but whatever decision her sister made would have to be decided by Angelica. After all she would have to bear the brunt of the consequences. 

The carriage arrives at the Schuyler home and the sisters head to bed for night with little else said between them. In the morning, two letters arrive in the mail.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading my first attempt at writing. Like I said a lot of Burr's opinions and some of the things he says are quotes from real life, especially the feminism stuff. Let me know if this went well, concrit would be heavily appreciated. I want to write/post more, I have pages of notes on Burr alone, so suggestions for improving would be great. I hope you have a lovely day! <3


End file.
